Pink Riding Hood
by Apple Lani
Summary: A lesbian retelling of 'Little Red Riding Hood' with a Bubbline/Sugarless Gum theme. Princess Bubblegum goes to visit the Earl of Lemongrab, but stops in a nearby forest. There, she has a run-in with Marceline in her wolf form. In order to clear misunderstanding, Marceline rushes to meet the princess at the castle. Later, Finn and Jake also go to the castle to make sure PB's safe.
1. Ch 1: The Princess and the Butler

**Chapter 1: The Princess and the Butler**

_Knock_,_ knock, knock_. There was a shriek and the sound of glass breaking. "Globbity glob it!" a sweet voice exclaimed.

Peppermint Butler opened the door to find a startled and frustrated Princess Bubblegum bent over trying to pick up pieces of broken glass on the ground. He rushed over to help his sovereign. "My apologizes, your highness! I didn't mean to startle you! Allow me to clean up." He hurried to the corner to collect the broom and dustpan from the closet and came back to clean the mess. To himself, he was grateful the beaker seemed empty when it fell. Who knows what sort of dangerous experiment the princess was working on?

Bubblegum stood up and stretched back, pushing her pelvis out with a groan and rubbing her swollen eyes. "Peppermint Butler! I thought my instructions were clear! NOT to disturb me tonight!"

Peppermint Butler kept his eyes on his work. Without looking up, he started, "Princess, it's morning… I was-"

With a panic, Bubblegum threw her arms up in the air. "Morning?! It's not possible! I've only been here for a few hours!" She ran to the window and pushed open the shutters. Bright sunlight hit her pale pink face and she winced in the blinding glare. "Oh no! I have so much to do today!" She began trying to straighten up her lab, finishing notes before putting books away, and putting stoppers on various vials.

Throwing the last shards of glass in the trash, Peppermint Butler replied, "Actually, since the Candy Council is in recess and you've completed almost all of your important obligations yesterday, I _was_ going to suggest you go to Lemongrab. There isn't much pressing at the moment. Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow, or even the next day."

The princess stopped and looked hard at Peppermint Butler. True, it was a bit more difficult to focus her eyes on him after hours of pouring over books and papers by candlelight, but she still couldn't decipher his meaning. "Grabby….?" she asked in a daze.

The butler gave a slight cough. "It's been a few months since you've seen him at his castle. You know how much more, er, unstable he becomes when you haven't visited for a while."

Like a flash her mind cleared and she went to her bookcase. She ran her fingers over several books until she found what she was looking for. Pulling one out, she opened it where a ribbon held the place. Bubblegum murmured a few things to herself and skimmed previous pages. "You're right. He's overdue for his assessment. Even with his new companion, he can't be left alone for too long. Peppermint Butler, please prepare my swan and some food for my trip. I shall leave post-haste!" She tucked the book under her arm and walked swiftly out of the lab towards her bedroom.

Peppermint Butler, trained with years of chasing the princess all over the castle, ran to keep up. "With all due respect, your highness, shouldn't you get some sleep first? You've been up all night!"

"No! Just because I stayed up all night doesn't mean I can ignore my responsibilities! I'll sleep when I return." With firm resolution, Princess Bubblegum closed the door on her doting servant.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "She never listens to me… I don't even know why I try…"

Peppermint Butler hummed to himself as he swept through the kitchen. He was looking through the many cabinets for the princess's favorite basket, which he knew she hadn't used in a while. Long ago, while she was still in royal training, she used to have dinnertime picnics and had very distinct instructions on what she was to bring. Thinking the basket would bring her some joy on her journey, he found it deep in a corner cabinet with the same red and white basket linen she had always liked to use. The butler knew how little time the princess took for himself, and hoped that she would find some time to relax on her visit. He filled it with various delicious foods. A few apples (one of the princess's favorites), sandwiches, pastries, cookies, juice boxes and water all went into the basket. He was looking around, trying to remember what Lemongrab liked to eat when Cinnamon Bun wandered into the kitchen.

"Over the hill and through the woods, to Lemongrabby's house we go!" He was slowly waddling about, with a vacant grin on his face.

"Cinnamon Bun! What are you doing here?! The princess is about to leave any minute now! I don't have time for this…" Peppermint Butler tried to push the older pastry-man out of the door. The servant huffed irritably and shook his head. He never understood how Cinnamon Bun always found ways to insert himself into different situations. Naturally, many of the candy people stayed in the castle too but they usually kept to themselves. Secretly, he blamed Princess Bubblegum. She always found Cinnamon Bun amusing, and never drove him away. In fact, she encouraged his company.

"But I want to goooo! I never get to go anywhere!" Cinnamon Bun whined. His face fell as Peppermint Butler continued to usher him out. He continued to make indiscriminate noises of disappointment.

"Starchy!" the butler looked around desperately and called out into the hallway. "You CANNOT go with the princess. Now go out to the gardens and… oh, I don't know, keep the benches warm."

The old janitor made his way jauntily to where the two candy people were arguing. "Someone call ol' Starchy?"

Peppermint Butler turned to Starchy and said with a huff, "Starchy, please escort Cinnamon Bun to the gardens. The princess is leaving for a trip to Castle Lemongrab and I need to finish collecting her things!" He gave one last shove of the whining Cinnamon Bun.

The butler turned and stormed back into the kitchen to complete his task for the princess.

Starchy took Cinnamon Bun by the hand and dragged him down the hall towards the garden. Seeing that they were holding hands, Cinnamon Bun's eyes lit up and he swung their hands happily to and fro. "You're my friend!"

Starchy shrugged. "Starchy's friends with everyone. Everywhere. You can count on ol' Starchy." The two walked out into the warm sun when they reached the garden. Starchy closed the palace doors, leaving Cinnamon Bun outside by himself.


	2. Ch 2: The Journey

**Chapter 2: The Journey**

Princess Bubblegum pulled the hood of her pink travelling cloak over her head and tied the string around her collar securely. She loved her travelling cloak which she received as a gift, but she never really wore it. She never had anything to wear it with. Most days, it was just something she gazed at hanging in the closet while trying to find something to wear. Bubblegum didn't really travel too far, and when she did she was usually dressed in something too elegant for a traveling cloak. However, today she dressed for comfort. She had on a mid-thigh length dark pink skirt over pink leggings with a purple belt. It was form-fighting but not too tight since was to be flying, but comfortable and curvy. She had a long pink V-neck sweater that just reached her hips. The low cut accentuated her breasts but didn't give too much away. Bubblegum was a princess, after all! Knee-high light pink boots would keep her legs warm on her trip and she loved the way they made her feel. Her boots often gave her more confidence as a woman, and they highlighted her long legs. She wore her long hair in a high ponytail to avoid the uncouth wind-swept look, and it stayed tucked neatly under the cloak's hood.

"Let's go, Swan!" The swan gave a happy honk and leapt into the air. The princess turned back to wave at her faithful servants. "Goodbye! I'll be back soon!" She saw Peppermint Butler wave his handkerchief and Starchy waving his hat in farewell. As she flew over the garden, she saw Cinnamon Bun running after her in vain waving his arms above his head. She called to him, "Goodbye, Cinnamon Bun!" She couldn't quite understand what he shouted to her, but she thought it sounded a bit gloomy. She shrugged and faced towards the Land of Ooo stretching before her.

It was freeing up in the clouds. When she looked up, she was barely able to see glimpses of the faraway Lumpy Space in all of its fluffiness. She wondered what Lumpy Space Princess was up to. According to the latest gossip, LSP was wandering somewhere in the woods, trying to establish her own independence and resisting her royal responsibilities to her kingdom. She also heard that she had written a book, published by Turtle Princess. She'd have to pick up a copy one day. Bubblegum sighed with sadness and pity for her friend, and a twinge of jealousy. She remembered her own rebellion against her duties to her own kingdom when she was younger. It was before all the royal meetings and ceremonies, before balancing treaties with neighboring kingdoms, and before having to be a true leader. The wonderful years of bliss marked with bitter fights over freedom versus duty. In fact, that was the first time she had ever flown. Although not on her swan, but with her…

Bubblegum shook her head. NO! She was NOT going to think about that. No, no, no! It made her heart-guts twist for a nanosecond, and then it was gone. The swan looked back at her and squawked with curiosity. "No, it's nothing. I'm fine," she replied reassuringly. How could she let her mind wander? Years as a ruler and scientist had made her mind strong, and she was more than able to keep her emotions in check. Of course, she had a sweet and kind nature with which to rule over her candy people, but she never let her emotions run her own life. Her life was for her people. In fact, that's why she made the Earl of Lemongrab, to ensure that her people would be taken care of if anything were to happen to her.

And that's another thing that went wrong… It happened that night, after _the _fight. She should never have locked herself away in the lab, trying to immerse herself in her work and forget about the pain. It was greater than she had ever experienced before, and she should have known she was in no condition to conduct experiments. Yet her work was the one thing she knew was certain in her life. Still, her heart-guts had just been ripped out and taken by another, and her mind wasn't fully able to concentrate. That's what lead to the critical error. But it was too late to fix it. Lemongrab was too far gone. It was her duty to make it right, and make sure it stays right.

Wait. Why was she thinking all these bunk thoughts? She felt her body lean too far to the right and she jerked her body straight. The swan looked back at the princess again with concern, but this time didn't say a thing. Bubblegum felt herself yawn deeply against her will, but she shook her head to try to clear her head. It wasn't too far to Lemongrab's, but she was still quite a ways away. She looked down on the land to try to regain her bearing. It was then that she saw a small patch of odd-looking plants on the edge of a forest. She leaned over a bit to take a closer look.

Seeing this, the swan gave a small hoot. "Yes, Swan. I think I should examine that foliage," the princess instructed. The swan made slow and graceful circles downwards until it landed next to the bushes. The princess descended from the swan and bent closer to take a look. A strong, sweet, and familiar smell wafted towards her. She looked deep into the bush and let out a cry of surprise. "Wild strawberries! In my Candy Kingdom?!" She couldn't believe her eyes. Besides the Royal Garden, the only other fruits that come in to the Candy Kingdom were imported from the Berry Kingdom. With delight, she turned and took the basket from the swan.

With a gentle pat, she excused the swan. It grunted in protest, but she smiled sweetly at the animal. "No, don't worry about me. There's a lake nearby. Just give me one hour, then you can pick me up to resume our journey." The swan whistled in compliance and lifted off.

Princess Bubblegum turned back to her task at hand. With giddy excitement, she took a napkin from the basket and started picking the bright red berries. She took a dainty sample and stole a taste. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was sweet and tart at the same time, and so juicy it made her mouth water. She tried to remember the last time she had fresh strawberries. Her eyes welled up in tears before she could stop herself. She hadn't had fresh strawberries since she kept a constant supply in her room. It was so long ago, and they weren't even for herself. Shaking her head again to shoo away distasteful thoughts, she began collecting the berries with a renewed vigor.

It didn't take long to collect the ripe strawberries from the small bushes. She stood back and examined her work. She was proud of her haul, enough to make strawberry desserts for a small party. She wished she hadn't told the swan she would take an hour. There was so much time before their rendezvous, so she looked around her surroundings. The forest was dense, but as she remembered from her view above it wasn't very big. The forest was calm and serene, with the occasional bird whistle or sound of a squirrel scurrying through the branches. She spotted a pile of dry leaves in the shadows of the trees. She took her basket and made her way to the leaves. Taking off her cloak and laying it on the leaves, she sat down and took out her book to review some of her notes. The weight of her puffy eyes and strain of staying up all night suddenly hit her. She couldn't fight it anymore. She barely felt herself fall back against the leaves as she fell asleep, with her book still in her hands.


	3. Ch 3: The Vampire-Wolf

**Chapter 3: The Vampire-Wolf**

Pink, the sweetest taste of red. Magenta and fuchsia often made her nauseous - too much blue. Deep red was creamy, savory, and soothing... But _pink_. There wasn't anything like the color pink. Sweet and light, like drinking air but so much more satisfying. Marceline knew that smell anywhere, the scent of pink. But not just any pink. _Her_ pink. Well, it used to be her pink. Nuts. Why did she just say that? "Hers"? Pssh!

Marceline recognized the scent as she entered the edge of the forest. She stopped to take in the smell and sense the direction from whence it came. The vampire floated slowly through the forest. Through the soft sounds of animals scurrying through the trees, she heard soft, rhythmic breathing and made her way towards the sound. She stopped a few feet away, then darted behind a tree. Princess Bubblegum! What the lump was she doing out here? And by herself?! Marceline hadn't been alone with her since their failed tour. Last time they had seen each other, the Scream Queens were with her and it was strictly business. A slight panic rose in her still chest and she let out a few breaths, anything to get the weight off. She didn't know what to do, but she couldn't help herself. Curiosity got the better of her.

Marceline craned her head slightly from behind the tree to allow one eye to fall upon the princess. The princess was deeply sleeping with a book in her hand, not unlike Marceline was used to finding her. She watched Bubblegum's chest rise and fall, her soft lips parted ever so slightly to allow the deep sighs of restful sleep. The bright pink traveling cloak cradled her body and accentuated the curves, causing a stark contrast against the dull leaves she lay on. The princess turned on her side, facing Marceline. The vampire gasped. She had forgotten how striking Bubblegum was while she slept. Even in slumber, she was a picture of perfection.

Marceline moved her head completely from behind the tree so she could fully watch the sleeping princess. The sight brought a smile to her face. It reminded her of long ago, when she would spend the night with the princess as she slept. Suddenly, an idea came to her. She knew she'd regret it, but she also knew she'd never get another chance like it again. Against a tree, Marceline set down her axe bass that was strapped to her back, then hung her sun hat and gloves on it. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Marceline transformed herself into a bat and slowly crawled onto the bed of leaves with Princess Bubblegum. She stopped and looked up at the princess's face. She hadn't stirred. With another quick movement, she nuzzled herself against Bubblegum's breast. Warmth filled her cold body and she felt herself blush a little. Bonni would KILL her if she found out! But the princess didn't even move. Marceline felt her little body being moved with each of the princess's breath, and she felt the occasional sigh against her bat-ears. The vampire-bat closed her eyes and reveled in it.

Marceline remembered what it was really like to sleep in the Candy Castle, cuddling up to Bonni. _Her_ Bonni. Her pink Bonni. They were young and in love, and no one knew. Of course, Peppermint Butler had his suspicions, but for the most part they were a secret. Maybe the secrecy made their affair all the more invigorating, but it was the last time Marceline had been truly happy. Marceline took a deep breath and took in Bubblegum's sweet scent. She smelled of pink sugar, cotton candy and… laboratory. A small smirk appeared on Marceline's face. She knew that smell too. The vampire didn't go into the laboratory too often, mostly because the princess would brag about her experiments that were way over the vampire's head, but she knew that her lab was one of the few things that made Bubblegum happy. Marceline always wanted to make her happy. In that moment, she realized that she was still in love with Bonnibel Bubblegum. No matter how much she denied it or how much she thought she was over her, she knew that her heart-guts still belonged to the princess.

The vampire-bat froze when she felt Bubblegum's hand press the bat closer. She couldn't believe what she was doing! Of course, if anyone else knew she'd have to kill them. She was used to fighting, battling in the Night-o-Sphere, and other brave things. However this one move took more courage than anything. Even more than the night she stole her first kiss...

Then Marceline heard it. In her bat form, she was able to hear things more acutely than her already sensitive vampire ears. A pack of wolves, maybe five. No… six. The alpha was trailing behind and picking up a scent. As a breeze blew by, Marceline felt a gust of wind pass over her and the princess. She heard the alpha wolf sniff sharply and growl hungrily. It had picked up the scent of Bubblegum.

Marceline squeezed out from the princess's grasp and transformed into her wolf form. She hid in the bushes, awaiting the assault. There was no way she was going to let anything happen to her Bonni. She smelled the wolves, ragged and desperate; they were obviously not from anywhere near the Candy Kingdom. She saw the wolves running in her direction from over the horizon. Marceline gave in to the wolf-instinct and growled protectively, with a sneer on her wolfy snout.

The alpha, the obviously the biggest wolf wearing a wooden pendant around his neck, was leading the pack straight for the small patch of forest. Marceline could see the hunger and desire in his eyes. As they neared the trees, Marceline jumped out in front of the alpha. He stopped right before the larger wolf, livid that something had dared cross his path to his food. The other wolves circled around Marceline. She felt five pairs of eyes bore into her as she stared down the alpha.

Marceline hissed, partly from anger and partly from the sun already starting to heat her fur. Soon it would get through to her skin. She knew she had to act fast. The smart thing would be to take the defensive and wait for the pack to initiate the attack, but there was no time for that. There were only two things on her mind: protect Bonni; get out of the sun.

Marceline reared on her hind legs and gave a menacing roar. She came down hard with one paw squarely on top of the alpha's head. He whimpered and shook his head in pain, falling back. She felt two wolves jump towards her from either side. She dodged the one coming from her right, and saw it crash hard into the ground just beyond her. But the wolf that flew from the left sank its teeth deep into her left shoulder. She felt its jaw clamp tight, teeth hitting both her shoulder blade and collarbone. If she didn't act fast, it would rip her entire arm off. She dug her right paw into its left flank, ripped it off her shoulder and launched it at another two wolves. The wolf standing closest to the small pile of defeated wolves pounced towards her but she backhanded it with her right paw, and it landed with a deafening crunch on the ground. That wolf didn't move.

The alpha, now oriented enough to reenter the fight, ran directly in front of Marceline and sprang for her left shoulder, hoping to strike the already weakened spot. She caught him by the throat, staring down the other wolves. They stopped, fearing for their alpha. His entire neck was encased within the giant jowl of the vampire-wolf. With one swift move, Marceline could subdue him for good. The alpha growled angrily at Marceline, but she squeezed her jaw tighter. He turned his eyes to the rest of his pack and gave a small yelp. The other wolves went running off. With a snarl, Marceline dropped the alpha who ran after his pack without a second glance.

Marceline gave a great roar and jumped back into the forest. Her body was smoking now, the sun's rays finally having gotten through the fur. As she landed with a thud on the forest floor, Princess Bubblegum awoke with a fright.

"Who's there?!" the princess called out. She stood up and looked around. Before her she saw the great wolf, getting on its paws and growling. At that moment, the swan came squawking angrily to Bubblegum's side, honking frantically towards the princess.

Marceline let out one more howl of pain before transforming back into her vampiric form. "Bonni… I…" It was too difficult for her to speak. Still on her hands and knees, she looked up to see Princess Bubblegum glowering in rage.

Princess Bubblegum looked intently at the swan as it honked at her in distress, the princess' face growing colder and angrier with every moment. She spun around towards Marceline and accused, "What do you think you're doing?! How dare you try to attack the princess of the Candy Kingdom!" She yelled a few phrases in German, but in her weakened state Marceline wasn't able to process what she was saying. The vampire, unable to control herself, hissed back at the princess. With a huff, Bubblegum collected her things and mounted the swan, swinging the pink traveling cloak back around her shoulders. "Let's go, Swan. We should never have stopped here. On to Castle Lemongrab!"

What a lumping mess! Marceline dragged herself on to her feet and tried to run after the princess, but as she ran out from the protection of the forest's shade, the sun rays started to burn her instantly. "Ow!" she hissed again, and jumped back into the shade. She looked up to see the swan far up in to the clouds and out of sight. Marceline leaned against a tree and cursed.

It was too late! Now that Bubblegum and she were finally on friendly terms, something had to go and mess it all up. She was trying to _protect_ her, not attack her! That stupid swan must've gotten it all wrong. Now strong enough to float, Marceline took up her axe bass, sun hat and gloves. There was only one thing to do. She had to meet Princess Bubblegum at Castle Lemongrab and explain herself. Once the princess knew her life was in danger, she'd understand. They'd be friends again. And maybe….

It didn't matter. She just had to talk to Bubblegum and there wasn't a moment to lose. Making sure her body was well protected, she flew out of the forest as fast and she could and sped towards Castle Lemongrab to save her friendship with Bonnibel.


	4. Ch 4: The Seize of Lemon

**Chapter 4: The Seize of Lemon**

Marceline slowed as she approached Castle Lemongrab. She had never actually been there before, but she remembered hearing Jake and Finn telling her about their adventure to the castle with the princess. The only reason she paid attention was because it was a story about Bonni, and she couldn't resist listening. From what she remembered, there were only two occupants: the Earl of Lemongrab and his twin (of sorts), Lemongrab 2. The castle was oddly geometric in shape. With its right angles and sharp edges, it was a stark contrast against the cotton candy forest below the mountain the fort stood upon. The entire castle was made of stone. She stopped and risked a glance at the sun. She had fully healed of course, but the trauma of the recent sun burning made her flinch as she lifted her hat. It wasn't quite sundown, but it would come soon. Princess Bubblegum shouldn't be far behind now.

Marceline turned back towards the castle and decided to fly up from the west, close to the denser part of the forest in case she was detected. Peaking her head up against the wall, she saw an empty courtyard. She saw and heard nothing. She flew carefully flew up to the tower. She flew against the side of the largest window and listened hard. Again, there was nothing.

Marceline entered the room. It was a simple bedroom. There was a large four-poster bed with white curtains and a soft yellow comforter. It was haphazardly made, and looked like two people slept in the bed. Next to the window from where she entered was a large wardrobe, which was very rectangular in design like the rest of the room. On the wall opposite the window was a desk that was surprisingly clean, as if it were never used. Marceline took off her bass, sun hat and gloves hiding them in a nearby trunk at the end of the bed, in case Lemongrab came back. She wasn't surprised it was unlocked, the trunk was empty. Directly in front of the bed was a great wooden door. She pressed her ear against it to listen and heard nothing.

Where could the Lemongrabs be? She couldn't risk them hanging around. They might ruin Marceline's only chance to explain herself to the princess. She was tired of the fighting and the bitterness between them. They'd both gone through too much to throw away their newly reformed friendship.

Marceline heard loud, insane laughing coming from the courtyard. She looked out the window to see the two Lemongrabs riding upon their respective steeds and entering the castle. Since the sun was still up, she opened the bedroom door and flew down the hallway, which strangely sloped downwards in a large spiral until it gradually reached ground level. There seemed to be only the one long hallway and she soon reached the opening to the throne room. She transformed into a bat and flew up to a corner to spy on the two people entering the castle.

"Ahahahahahaha! Lemongrab, you're the funniest person I know!" the Lemongrab dressed in black said.

The Lemongrab in white shook his head happily. "Why, thank you, Lemongrab! But I think _you're_ the funniest person I know!" They closed their eyes and rubbed their foreheads together tenderly. Marceline cringed in , an idea came to Marceline. She was going to prank these losers – HARD – and make sure they didn't get in the way when she talked to Bubblegum. She remembered passing what seemed like countless doors in the hallway. She was sure there was something she could use in one of them. Marceline flew back down into the hallway, and reverted back to her vampire form to start throwing doors open. To her dismay, many of them were empty. There were a few rooms with nothing but a catcher's mitt, another with a three-legged stool right in the middle, another room had two lemon trees growing, and other such rooms with random objects in them.

Marceline was about ready to give up when she opened a door, and her mouth formed into a huge grin. Along the right side of the wall of this room were multiple lockers, all with padlocks attached to them. There was a smaller glass room on the left with a door sealing that small room, and an electric panel placed before the glass. "Perfect," she snorted to herself. She flew through the hall and made sure all of the other doors were closed except for the most recent one she found. She then went back up towards the entrance of the throne room and spied through the slightly ajar doors. There was the black-dressed Lemongrab sitting in one of the chairs, waiting expectantly.

Marceline softly cleared her throat. She hadn't done this in a while, and she had never actually met the Lemongrabs, but it was worth a shot. "Oh, Lemongrab!" she called, perfectly mimicking the sound of their voices which she had just heard. "Could you please meet me in one of the rooms?"

The Lemongrab sitting in the throne looked around confusedly. "Where are you?"

"The glass room down the hall needs… fixing!" _Fixing?!_ She slapped her forehead with her palm. One thousand years old and an expert liar, yet the only thing she could think of was "the room needs fixing"?! She was going to have to have a talk with herself about that one later.

Lemongrab shrugged. "The Reconditioning Chamber? Um, okay!" He replied. Marceline flew just above the door frame out of the way and watched as he walked towards the room.

Marceline flew through the throne room to look out of the main doors where she saw the white-dressed Lemongrab taking the steeds to a small stable next to the drawbridge. She cleared her throat again and called out, "Lemongrab! Can you please meet me in the Reconditioning Chamber? I have a surprise for you!"

The other Lemongrab smiled. "Oh! A surprise! I love surprises!" He ran up to the castle and burst through the doors. Marceline followed swiftly. When they reached the dungeon, the black-dressed Lemongrab was inside of the mysterious glassed-room bent over with his head in the corner.

The Lemongrab in white entered the room and asked, "Where's my surprise?"

The first Lemongrab stood up, and removed his glasses. "Surprise? What surprise?" He bent down to pick up a glass bottle that was standing in the corner where he was gazing. "Is this the surprise?" he asked, holding it up to his counterpart?

Marceline slammed the door, spun the wheel lock shut and laughed. She stood in front of the glass as the two Lemongrabs realized they had been tricked. "You two are way too easy to prank!" she cackled in her normal voice.

The Lemongrab in white stared blankly for a few moments and started laughing. "Ah ha! Ah ha! Good prank! You got us! Ha ha ha! Yeah!"

The other Lemongrab looked from him to Marceline a few times, his eyes growing wider with fear and incomprehension. "Praaaank? What is this prank?" he screamed maniacally. He took the bottle by the longneck then tried pounding it against the wall, trying to break off the end. Lemongrab hammered several times but the bottle refused to shatter. Opening his large jaw which revealed a frightening array of sharp, pointy teeth, he began to gnaw at the end of the bottle, again without success. He threw his arms up in the air and shrieked, "UNACCEPTABLE!" He rushed himself towards the window, attempting in vein to crawl through the glass.

The white-dressed Lemongrab, seeing his friend lose his temper, walked over and started rubbing the top of the crazed Lemongrab's head with both hands. Closing his eyes and humming something, the black dressed Lemongrab started to calm beneath his companion's touch.

Then he too started laughing. "A prank?! Oh! Yeah, that's a good one! ACCEPTABLE!" The two grabbed hands and started dancing in a circle, laughing insanely and hysterically.

Marceline shook her head and slowly flew away. Ugh… Yeah, they weren't fun to prank at all. That was lame. Disappointed, she flew back up to the bedroom to fiddle with her guitar, and thought about what she was going to say when Bubblegum finally got to the castle.


	5. Ch 5: The Princess' Revelation

**Chapter 5: The Princess' Revelation**

As Princess Bubblegum continued her flight over Ooo, her mind began to wander again. She thought about what the swan had told her back at the forest. The swan said that as it flew down to meet the princess, it saw a huge wolf standing in the meadow. A great wolf, with fury in its eyes, and its bloody mouth howling so terribly it couldn't have meant anything good. The wolf then jumped straight into the forest, where Bubblegum was lying in the shade.

But it didn't make sense to her. Why would Marceline attack her in her wolf form? Why now? They had been on tour together the previous summer and were alone many times. Marceline could've done anything to her in those moments, and she never did. Bubblegum frowned slightly. She didn't do a lumping thing, she thought, not a _darn_ thing. All they did was talk, and Marceline was usually too self-absorbed in her own negative thoughts that she hardly paid attention to the princess. Even when the princess started talking to that Guy, whom she didn't even really like anyway, it took Marceline weeks to show any sign of jealousy. By then, Bubblegum was so lonely she took any friendship she could. She thought she would get to spend time together with the vampire, not end up being the band's babysitter.

Still, she thought about the way Marceline looked on stage, in her element powered by her passion for music. She blushed slightly thinking about the way it made her feel. Marceline was a star, and Bubblegum idolized that part of her. It filled her with pride and wonder. When Marceline was singing, it was like Bubblegum was seeing right into her soul. She felt the pain the vampire held inside and saw her dreams for the future, and the princess wanted to the one with whom she confided in. She wanted to be the one she shared everything with. As different as they were, Bubblegum understood what she felt. No matter how bad the tour was, she was glad she was able to watch Marceline night after night, and grow closer even if they weren't able to have any private moments together.

No, the swan must've been mistaken. Marceline would _never_ hurt her. She was sure of that. Princess Bubblegum was still in a haze of fatigue when she continued her journey to Castle Lemongrab, which hindered her ability to accurately recall what had happened. Had Marceline said something? She was only a wolf for a few moments before reverting to her vampire form, and she was lying on the ground not putting up a fight. The Marceline she knew would've been making some sort of snarky comment about the princess napping in the forest. A slight dread rose in Bubblegum's chest. Something was wrong! It wasn't like Marceline to just lie around. How could she have been so blind?!

As the princess came to this realization, she saw the castle in the distance. She looked to the sun and saw that it was close to sunset. How long had she been flying? The swan landed just before the drawbridge in front of the outer walls. Princess Bubblegum climbed down the swan with her basket and drew back the hood of her cloak. She took the creature's face into her hands and gave it a solemn look. "Swan, I don't think Marceline was trying to harm me. I think she may be in trouble!" The swan tried to honk in disagreement, but the princess shook her head. "No, listen to me! I want you to go back and see if Marceline's still there in that forest! If she is, bring her back here to me! You must go NOW!" the princess demanded. The swan bowed obediently then flew back towards the direction from where they came.

Princess Bubblegum took a deep breath and made her way up to the castle. The drawbridge was open, but that wasn't too strange for the Lemongrabs. They never received any visitors, nor did anyone pose any threat. Entering the courtyard, she looked to the right and saw both of the steeds in their stables, eating hay and just generally relaxing. Oh, good. She knew they were home. She walked through the silent courtyard up to the castle. Because of the sharp-cornered geometric architecture, the sound of her footsteps echoed more loudly than she was used to. It creeped her out, but again it wasn't new to her. She opened the main door, which was slightly ajar, and poked her head through. "Lemongrab! Lemongrab! It's Princess Bubblegum! I know I haven't visited for a while. I'm sorry I didn't call first!" she called out. There was no answer.

The princess walked through the throne room and went to the kitchen down the hall, which was immaculate due to their lack of cooking. She stocked the pantry and refrigerator with the food that she had brought. However, she was surprised to see that the pantry was emptier than last time, even after she made the second Lemongrab. Curious, she peeked into the rubbish bin.

"Ugh!" she let out a snort of disgust. At least she knew they weren't going hungry, because there were empty juice boxes, candy wrappers, and fruit rinds in the garbage. However it smelled as if it hadn't been emptied in weeks. Bubblegum turned her head to the side to take a deep breath and held it, then she took the large trash bag and tied it up. Hauling it over her shoulder, she slowly walked outside of the castle to throw the garbage bag in the dumpster. After throwing it in with a grunt, she let out another loud sigh of relief as she stretched her arms into the sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement in the high tower where the Lemongrabs' bedroom was. "There you are, Lemongrabs! It's me, Princess Bubblegum! I'll be up in a minute!" she shouted up to the window. She rushed into the house, stopped to wash her hands in the bathroom, and rushed up to the bedroom.

_Oh Glob! Oh Glob! Oh Glob!_ Marceline thought frantically as she jumped back into the room. She knew looking out the window to spy on the princess was a bad idea. She saw her! Not only that, but Bonni thought she was one of the Lemongrabs! What was she going to do?! She flew desperately around the room trying to figure out a plan. She looked for a closet, but was surprised to see there wasn't one. She flew to the armoire, but it was so full of junk that even in her small bat form, there wouldn't be enough room without knocking the contents all over the floor. Then, Marceline heard a knock on the door.

"Lemongrabs! May I come in?" a sweet voice called out.

"Nuts!" Marceline hissed to herself. As the door knob started to turn, the vampire jumped into the bed, closed the bed curtains, and hid under the covers.


	6. Ch 6: The Surprise

**Chapter 6: The Surprise**

Princess Bubblegum slowly opened the door to the Lemongrabs' bedroom and poked her head through. "Hello? Lemongrab?" she called out. There was no answer. Opening the door wide enough to let herself through and shutting the door behind her, she stopped as soon as she entered and looked around. There didn't seem to be any sign of the Lemongrabs anywhere, until she noticed a small lump in the large bed. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know you were asleep!" Again, there was no answer. She took a few steps closer, growing ever wary, then stopped. He was being oddly quiet and still.

Suddenly, Lemongrab said, "Oh, Princess! Ha ha! I'm not feeling too well, so I'm just staying in bed. Thank you for visiting!"

The princess cocked her head curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's a good thing I came then. What are your symptoms?" She took out her notebook and a pen, and prepared to start jotting down notes. She looked up expectedly.

The lump in the bed fidgeted. Bubblegum started approaching again, but stopped when the voice called out, "Oh, no! I'm okay, Princess. I'm just feeling a little tired. And dizzy… Maybe it's contagious. You shouldn't come any closer!"

Bubblegum took a few more steps until she was close to the bed. She closed the notebook and placed it on the trunk lying at the foot of the bed. She was beginning to become doubtful. What kind of game was he playing at? And where was his companion? "Oh okay, Lemongrab," the princess replied, with a sigh of resignation. If she was going to get anywhere with him, she was going to have to play his game for a while. She was used to her candy people trying to play games with her all the time. "Where's the other Lemongrab?" she asked brightly, trying to change the subject to get him out of his hiding.

"Uh… uh…" he replied. He fidgeted again. "He's outside!"

The princess giggled and shook her head. "I was just outside! I saw both camels in the stable. Oh, come on, Lemongrab. You're not pranking me very well, you know…" she said as she made her way to the side of the bed and drew the curtain back. She slowly reached down, grabbed the blanket and with a swift motion pulled it back.

To the princess' surprise, lying under the covers was Marceline who looked up at her feebly. She wiggled her fingers in a wave and said, "Hello, Bonnibel… My, what big eyes you have!"

It took a few moments for Princess Bubblegum's eyes to go from wide with astonishment to narrow with rage. "Marceline…" she growled softly. She clenched her jaw and ground her teeth together. How dare she sneak up on her again! And at Castle Lemongrab! What happened to the real Lemongrabs?

Marceline sat up in the bed flashing the same halfhearted smile. "Surprise!" she said softly as she put her arms up in the air. She waited a few moments, and when she saw that Princess Bubblegum's expression hadn't changed she put her arms back down to her sides. "Don't worry. I didn't hurt the Lemongrabs. I pranked them into trapping themselves into one of their rooms down the hall. I mean, they're so gullible. It wasn't even fun."

Bubblegum didn't think she could squint her eyes in more disapproval as she folded her arms. She was completely speechless. She had known Marceline for years. She didn't even know where to begin scolding her. For pretending to be Lemongrab in bed? For pranking the poor pathetic beings into a room down the hall? For having the nerve to infiltrate the castle for glob-knows-what? For running after her in wolf form?! She thought she had forgiven Marceline for that, and deemed it was a misunderstanding on the swan's part. Now she wasn't so sure. Maybe Marceline did that have impudence to attack her in broad daylight.

Princess Bubblegum stared at Marceline. She couldn't quite tell the expression on the vampire's face. She was looking back at the princess in what looked like hopeful expectation. She didn't often see Marceline looking so vulnerable. She was caught a little off guard, but she didn't let her face give away any of her emotion. Then she saw Marceline furrow her brow and slam her hand into the pillow next to her. "Glob, Bonni! Say something!"

The princess sighed, frustrated, and threw up her arms. "What do you want me to say, Marceline? 'Oh, Marceline! What a surprise!' You're in _Castle Lemongrab_! I don't even know where to start! Wait, I know! What the lump was that wolf-thing all about earlier?! How dare you come after me while I napped in the woods?"

Marceline floated up and started pacing around the room. "Well, what were _you_ doing sleeping alone in the wood? Do you know how dangerous it is? No one around, on the edge of the Candy Kingdom. You're lucky I was there!"

Princess Bubblegum's face contorted with anger. "I do not have to explain myself to you. I'm the ruler of the Candy Kingdom. I don't have to answer to anyone."

Then something happened that shocked the princess. Marceline stopped in front of her and stared into the princess' face, her eyes quivering and growing damp. "But something _could've_ happened to you. Something almost DID happen! A pack of wolves. They caught your scent. I fought them off, in the sun, to protect you. YOU!" Marceline turned away with her head down. "And all you did was get mad. I came here to try to explain myself. . . We've come so far. Just when we're finally okay."

Bonnibel felt a lump in her throat and took a step closer to the floating vampire. "Marceline... I don't know what to say." She really didn't. This was not the answer she was expecting. It all seemed to make sense now. A warm feeling of relief and something else spread across her chest and up to her face. "Thank you," she replied softly.

After a few moments, Marceline turned around and smiled, but the princess could see it wasn't genuine. "But, hey. Whatevs, right? You're safe. No harm done. So… yeah. We're cool? I guess I should go now." She reached into the trunk at the end of the bed and took out her hat and axe bass.

"No, wait!" the princess called as she held her hand out. "It's okay. You can stay for a while." Bubblegum wasn't very good at explaining her emotions, and Marceline was even worse. In fact, Marceline had just practically poured her heart out to the princess. And Bubblegum wasn't about to let it go. Just one evening together, that's all she wanted. In a castle far away, where it could just be her and her vampire again. Just like it used to be.

Marceline's face flushed a bit. "Heh, yeah... Okay. I could do that." She threw the hat on the trunk and flew towards it to set the axe bass down, but the princess stopped her.

Bubblegum sat down on the bed and smiled up at Marceline. "Remember... Before? When you used to float around playing your bass while I worked at my desk? Well... I kind of miss that..." Her poise was suddenly gone. She could feel herself mumbling and speaking softly, almost unsure of herself.

Marceline couldn't look at the princess. "Yeah. I remember." She floated about nervously. She put the guitar strap around her shoulder and started picking at the bass absent-mindedly.

Bubblegum's chest tightened. The sound of the bass alone brought back memories she wasn't expecting, that she wasn't ready for. Her eyes burned but she looked away, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to burst out. Through downcast eyes the princess watched Marceline floating around with her eyes closed, and the random strumming started coming together in a sweet, melancholy tune.

"Oh, sweet little candy girl  
You're my favorite kind of treat  
Your pink is like a drug to me,  
And I just can't kick the need

"Your sugary scent is intoxicating  
My body needs a fix  
Oh, sweet little candy girl  
I can't get enough of it

"You wanted me to be good  
To earn your honeyed praise  
But sorry, Princess, I'm not like that  
I think was born this way

"Oh, sweet little candy girl  
I can taste it on my tongue  
You're the only one who can save me  
Why won't you save me?  
Give me your hand, you can save… me…"

Marceline ended her song suddenly and removed the guitar from around her shoulder. Bubblegum had been watching her fly through the room and strumming her bass. The vampire's best way of communicating was through song, and the princess was confused why she stopped. The rhythm and the sound of Marceline's voice had put Bonni into a trance. Her heart was racing with the anticipation of the rest of the song. Her mind was fully engrossed in every movement and every sound from the vampire. The sultry voice took her away to a far off place, where it was just the two of them. She watched as the vampire flew directly in front of the princess and looked into her eyes. The intense, old eyes bore down deep into Bubblegum, and gripped her heart-guts in its unbreakable gaze. No, Marceline wasn't trying to use any of her vampire powers on her. This went beyond all of that. All of their history together, the joyful moments and excruciating fights, intertwined. The immensity of it overwhelmed the princess, and she almost couldn't breathe. As Marceline leaned ever so slightly to place her axe bass down, Bubblegum leaned forward and kissed her.

Time seemed to stand still. Bonnibel couldn't move, and she couldn't even think. The moment her warm soft lips touched the cool moist lips of the vampire, her body froze. It was almost too much to finally touch her after so long, with such a sensual caress of lips she felt her whole life stop. Nothing was real. Nothing but the woman in front of her.

Soon, the princess felt her body unfreeze. She melted into the cool arms that embraced her, arms that she knew so well from long ago. They felt so natural around her waist, and she brought her own arms around Marceline's neck. They pulled each other closer, their bodies pressed against each other trying to make up for lost time. The kiss, which had started so soft and tender, turned passionate and almost violent. Lips crashed against each other with hunger that may never be satisfied.

Bubblegum slowly lowered herself on the bed, pulling Marceline down with her with their lips still interlocked. The vampire tried to pull away, but the princess didn't relinquish her hold. "Wait, Bonni… Are you sure? I mean, we talked about this… Maybe it's not a good-"

Bonnibel stopped the vampire with another kiss. She pleaded, "Marceline, please. Just one night. No royal duties, no quests or fights, no band rehearsals. Just you and me, stealing time together, like we used to. I _need_ you. I've missed you so much."

Marceline shook her head, tears now freely streaming from her eyes. "I don't know if I can. I… I still love you, Bonnibel. I always have."

Lifting her hand to stroke the wet cheek with the back of her hand, the princess looked back into profound black eyes. Bonnibel gave another kiss, putting her whole heart into it. She wanted Marceline to really know that she felt the same way. Words were one thing, but she needed to _show_ Marceline. Bubblegum had never truly stopped loving the vampire. Not a day went by when she wasn't in the princesses thoughts. The pain of sacrifice burned in her heart-guts, but she wasn't going to let the vampire go tonight. Not when all she wanted was to be with her love. The princess untied the pink cloak from around her neck. With an inviting look, she brought Marceline closer.


	7. Ch 7: The Night in the Castle

**Chapter 7: The Night in the Castle**

Marceline allowed herself to be pulled over the princess, and brought her mouth to meet Bonnibel's. This kiss was deep and long, supple and sweet. Glob, it had been too long. Princess Bubblegum hadn't been with too many people since Marceline, and no one ever came close to pleasing her the way the vampire always had. Anxiety rose in her chest slightly. Was she expecting too much? Self-consciousness pressed in the back of her mind for a few fleeting seconds, until she felt a cool hand glide under her sweater and slightly brush the smooth skin of her stomach. She gasped into Marceline's mouth at the sensation which caused a shudder to wave through her body, and Bubblegum felt the vampire smirk. As Marceline's hand softly stroked her soft stomach, she felt a long tongue flick in her mouth in the same rhythmic motions as the hand.

Bonni reached her own hands to Marceline's lower back, and pushed her T-shirt slightly to expose the grey midsection. They stroked softly against the smooth skin, and slowly pushed her pelvis down onto her body. Marceline had been floating above the princess but with the pressure of warm hands, she slowly brought herself down to lay on top of the other girl with their legs between each other's. Bubblegum quickly pulled off Marceline's T-shirt and was happy to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her perfect bosom didn't need it. The princess like it that way. It was one less obstacle in her way of her true goal. She brought her head down to clamp her mouth on the perfect breast while her hands clenched against strong shoulders.

"Oh, Bonni!" Marceline inhaled sharply with the abruptness of the other girl's action. Bubblegum wasn't used to acting so fast, but she had waited too long. The weight of Marceline on her further fanned the fire within. She gently pulled on the nipple with her teeth, feeling it grow harder and harder in her mouth. The hand in her sweater reached her own breast, and she felt herself being softly teased through the bra. As gentle as Marceline touched her, she was as fervent in her caresses. The saline taste of Marceline's skin and feel of her soft breast in her mouth only made her want more. With one hand Bonnibel pressed Marceline's body closer against her head and with another she reached for the other breast, moving her fingertip in circles around the nipple. The vampire's body was grinding against the princess, pushing her skirt up to her hips. The moistness between the princess' legs rubbed against the friction of her panties and Marceline's thigh, which left her aching with desire.

Bubblegum arched her back, letting her bra become unhooked. Marceline's hand reached under the bra and gently squeezed her nipple. Marceline's rapid breaths turned into soft moans of pleasure as Bonnibel matched her sucking with the squeezes she felt around her own nipple. She allowed her sweater and bra to be pulled over her head, and felt her own breasts being squeezed firmly by strong hands. The princess moved her head to Marceline's other nipple, giving it long strokes with her tongue. She sucked as much of her breast into her mouth and pulled away, and Marceline let out a loud whimper as her nipple rushed out from between Bonnibel's lips. She continued to suck long and deep on Marceline's breasts, every once in a while flicking it with her tongue as held it in her mouth, alternately squeezing and kneading whichever soft mound wasn't being attended by the princess' eager mouth. The vampire's body shuddered above her as she rolled the nipple from side to side softly in her teeth. Marceline's moans grew louder and longer, and then she let out in a long groan of relief. No, that's not fair. Did she just come already?

Marceline lowered her head to give Bubblegum another long kiss. "Oh, Bonni, what a sweet mouth you've got," she breathed.

"The better to suck you with," Bonnibel whispered into her. She took the other girl's lower lip into her mouth and gave it a tender suckle. She explored the supple coolness in her mouth. She enjoyed sensuality of another girl's soft lips on hers.

Marceline pulled away quickly and frowned, saying, "That's not really fair, Bonni. It should've been you first." She quickly removed Bonnibel's boots and leggings, but almost cruelly she left her panties and skirt on. Marceline gave a little laugh when she saw the princess's disappointed face. "Oh no, Princess. We're not rushing with that one. That comes off when I want it to." Bubblegum whined unhappily and tugged at the belt loops of Marceline's jeans. The princess raised her hips higher to rub herself with vigor against her lover, but Marcy withdrew. She pulled her leg from between Bubblegum and straddled her hips. "Now, now, Bonni. What's the rush?" The vampire craned down to give her neck long strokes with her tongue like electric shocks, and Bubblegum began tugging at the button of her pants. She wanted that out of the way. The vampire must've known all too well that there was no stopping Bonni once she wanted something, so she pulled herself off of the princess and yanked off her jeans to reveal black and red panties. The princess exhaled at the sight, drinking up every bit. Marceline was so beautiful scantily clad.

Bubblegum sat up on her knees and pulled Marceline back towards her by the hips, guiding the other girl's legs around her. She pressed Marceline's lower back, pushing her pelvis into her, and she could feel the wetness seeping through the vampire's panties onto her stomach. She slid her hand up Marceline's back and stopped shortly to stroke the back of her neck. As her hand entered the thick beautiful nest of black hair, Bonni took a handful and squeezed it tight against her head. She forced Marceline's mouth hard down on to hers, entering her tongue deep inside the vampire's mouth. She loved the feel of Marceline's dark hair. With her free hand, she pulled the hair around her, draping her face and brushing her shoulders as it fell down her back. She felt Marceline's arms wrap around her tight, and they slowly ground against each other. The wetness of Marceline made Bonnibel's stomach cool, but she imagined how warm and moist it would feel once she was inside of her. It made her own juices flow with a flush, and she knew her own pink panties were soaked.

The princess released her grip of hair and placed her hand between their writhing bodies, slipping her thumb just above Marceline's entrance. She moved her thumb slowly side to side, able to feel exactly what lay underneath the thin layer of dripping cotton. Marcy's magical little pearl, and Bonni knew just what to do with it. The little protrusion itself was teasing the princess, calling out to her. She felt Marceline whimper in her mouth and the vampire arched her hips forward to meet Bonnibel's hand. Just as Bubblegum began to revel in the feeling of pleasuring Marceline, the vampire pulled her head back and held her body still. Bubblegum pressed harder with her hand, but Marceline took hold of her wrist. The vampire pulled both of Bonni's hands behind her back and took hold of them firmly with one of her own. Marceline brought her right hand to Bubblegum's chin and turned her face up. "Slow down, Princess. I've waited too long for this. I'll not have you rushing everything. I want it nice and slow," she whispered silkily. Marceline's tongue slinked out and licked Bonni's ear, and the princess shivered with yearning.

Bubblegum struggled to pull her arms free, but she couldn't overcome the vampiric strength that held her. Realizing she was powerless, she pouted up at Marcy who grinned wickedly down at her. She felt Marceline's hand slowly stroke her neck and trail down to her expectant nipple. As the fingers brushed slightly around her areola, avoiding the one spot that longed for stimulation, Bonni softly began kissing Marceline's collarbone. She hoped to motivate the other girl to give her what she needed but it never came. The strokes upon her bosom were long and soft, always just missing her hardened nipples that ached for the vampire's touch. The teasing was almost unbearable, and her powerlessness frustrated her. She was used to being the one in charge. The princess had enough. She pushed her body forward, hard, and pushed a surprised Marceline on her back. The vampire let go of Bubblegum's hands in order to catch her by the sides as she fell on top of her. Smiling, she took the opportunity to take Marceline's wrists and pinned them against the bed.

"Are you topping me?" Marceline laughed. Bubblegum answered the question with an even more fervent kiss. The princess forced open her mouth and sucked the long tongue into hers. She pulled it out to the full length with her mouth and sucked the tip, then ran her own tongue along the length of it up and down. She felt the tongue writhe as she moved her mouth along and thought about where she wanted it. It made her giddy with expectation, but not right now. She wasn't done with the vampire just yet.

She slid her leg between Marceline's and began rubbing with her thigh. Bonnibel felt the vampire concede to her power beneath her. Now that she was in control, she brought her mouth to Marceline's neck, covering it with kisses and sucking the soft, cool skin. She slowly slid Marceline's panties off. As Bubblegum raised her face up to give Marceline a soft kiss, she gently parted her legs and ran her hand along her left knee, up between her legs and down to the other knee. Bonni pulled her head away to look at Marceline's face. She wanted to see the look on her face when she began touching her lover. Marceline matched her gaze and returned an arrogant smile, knowing that the princess was enjoying the show. Bonnibel traipsed her hand slowly back up Marceline's inner thigh. She wasn't even inside and she was exhilarated to feel how wet and ready Marceline was. If Marcy wanted it slow, she'd give her slow. She traced her finger along the outer lips, the tip of her finger moistening gently, and Marceline's face relaxed in submission. Bubblegum slipped the very tip of her finger inside of the vampire, and then glided her slippery digit up towards the little pearl. It was Bonnibel's turn to smirk as she watched Marceline. The vampire's face contorted in pleasure and relief of finally being touched, but with a sense of urgency for more stimulation. The deep eyes begged for more. "Bonni, yes! I want you inside," she groaned. That was just what the princess wanted to hear.

Bubblegum applied the slightest bit of pressure as she added another finger and moved them up and down. She loved the feel of the wet pussy beneath her fingers, and she blushed at the thought of using the vulgar word. She twirled in a small gentle circle up by Marceline's button then slid her fingers back down along the top of her lips. She repeated this motion a few more times, enjoying the feel of Marcy's hips bucking up and down to match the motion. Finally, she dipped the tips of her two fingers inside. It was the only area of Marceline's body that was warm, deep inside when she was aroused. The contrast of temperatures fascinated and excited Bubblegum. It felt like her fingers were being kissed as she entered, and feeling the rough tight tissue inside almost felt like her fingers was being sucked on. She pulled out again to give the vampire's gem another set of caresses before reentering. With each drive inside, Bubblegum increased her speed and inserted more length of her fingers until she was as far deep inside Marceline as she could go, pumping at a steady pace.

Marceline's moans were loud now, and her face grimaced as if she were in pain, eyes closed in a haze of ecstasy. The princess resumed sucking and licking on the vampire's neck, also moaning into Marceline's skin. She was receiving an incredible amount of joy from the feel of the body beneath her grinding with pleasure, the slick pull around her fingers and the sound of Marceline's sultry voice groaning. She curved her fingers upwards while deep inside, massaging the long stretch of nerves and muscle. The princess found the soft spot just at the tip of her fingers and pressed gently.

"Oh, glob, Bonni! Oh, _fuck_!" Marceline shouted. Bubblegum knew that when Marceline evoked curses in the ancient language, she was close. She continued her steady pace, rubbing thumb up and down on Marceline's pearl as she stimulated her from the inside as well. "Right there, right there! Ooohhhh, don't stoooooop!" her lover announced, and Bonni obeyed. Moments later, the vampire's body was shaking violently again underneath her while she let out a blood-curdling scream, and Bubblegum felt the muscles around her fingers give a little tug.

Bonnibel slowly removed her fingers from inside the vampire, giving the smooth button a graze. The Marceline's body shivered again with the fleeting touch. The princess brought her moist fingers to her mouth and gave it a suckle, giving her lover a seductive stare. The taste of Marceline in her mouth made her salivate with memories. The salty, sour taste was like a long lost delicacy, a taste of heaven she never thought she'd sample again. She sucked her fingers all the way down to the knuckles, reveling in the taste. She hoped Marceline felt the same way about her own taste.

She bent down to kiss Marceline gently, but the vampire's mouth was just as animated as ever. That was the wonderful thing about Marceline; the girl had such stamina and didn't need any recovery time. Bubblegum rolled the two on to her back, wrapping her legs around the vampire's hips. With one hand, she guided Marceline's hand along her thigh, encouraging soft touches.

As Marceline's hand stroked along the princess' thigh, she felt a long tongue glide along her neck and travel down her chest. It stroked the sides and rubbed between her breasts. The forked tongue played all along her bosom, but still avoided any nipple play which the princess was almost desperate for. Bonni brought a hand to her own nipple and ever so softly stroked with her finger, tingling with bliss. She gasped in relief, but felt the tongue push the finger away. The feel of a moist strong muscle replaced her own finger and she moaned loudly. The princess' head swam in ecstasy.

Marceline's hand was stroking Bonni's hip now, her skirt pushed up around her waist. The vampire was playing along the seams of the princess' panties. A finger dipped under the cloth just to the side of the panties for a second and then it was gone. The hand reappeared and traced the outline of small hair on her mound through the panties. For a moment, Bubblegum frowned. She used to keep it shaped for Marceline, but now it was an amorphous form. Princess Bubblegum didn't like disappointing her. But those thoughts quickly left her when she felt the vampire's fingers begin tracing along the side of her swollen nub while the long tongue wrapped around her nipple and continued tugging delicately. She arched her hips and breasts up towards the vampire, asking for more.

The vampire pulled herself back to remove Bubblegum's skirt but left her panties in place. Bonni could feel Marceline's eyes on her, taking the sight of her in, and she looked away embarrassed. She felt self-conscious in her vulnerable state. Marceline's body was above her again, the tongue working its way along her neck and breasts, hands stroking her hips and thighs. Despite being touched all over her body, she wasn't sure if Marceline was ever going to touch her _there_. Taking the initiative, she placed her hands upon Marceline's shoulders and began to move her lower on her body. Marceline gave no resistance, and the long tongue started playing upon the princess's soft stomach. Bubblegum whined in longing, almost unable to bear the relentless teasing.

Soon, the princess felt soft kisses at the top of her mound, and fingers play along the panty lines between her legs. Marceline's head slowly travelled down, continuing with the small kisses. As she felt lips around her pearl through her panties, Marceline let out a long breath into Bonni. She gasped loudly at the delightfully burning sensation of breath spreading throughout her loins.

The tip of the forked tongue made its way to the side of Bubblegum's panties. She couldn't wait any longer. She brought her hand down and pushed her panties to the side, exposing her swollen sex. Marceline's tongue gave her outer lips a few long soft strokes up and down, the princess shuddering at the sensation. Marcy closed Bonnibel's skyward while pushing her panties up to her knees. Bonni felt the tongue withdraw again, and looked down to Marceline gazing between her legs. She blushed again, being so exposed. Then Marceline's head dug in between Bubblegum, giving a fierce kiss right to her nub before pulling back again. She moaned loudly at the quick jolts. The princess held the back of her knees, pulling her legs as far back as they could go. The vampire repeated her intense kisses several times, causing the princess to cry out each time. Soon, the hard kisses stopped as lips stayed closed in around Bonnibel's pearl, and she felt the mouth start sucking in small circles. Marceline removed the princess' soaked panties and threw them behind her, spreading the smooth pink legs and burying her face in between.

Princess Bubblegum was breathing heavily now, lost in the sensation of Marceline's mouth between her legs. Her hips were moving along with the vampire's head as she licked and sucked around the engorged button. Marceline pulled it into her mouth, then drew her lips back around it several times. The princess gave herself up to the vampire's caresses, savoring the feel of pleasure of her body and the swell of her chest as her heart-guts gave itself to the other girl. She wanted that moment to last forever, absorbed in emotion and joy with Marceline. Just as Bonni thought she was close to the point of climax, Marceline withdrew her lips and the tip of her tongue slowly entered the princess.

Another stream of pleasure flowed through Bonni at the different sensation. The tongue slowly made its way in an out, travelling deeper inside. The feel of the tongue moving inside of her was indescribable. Marceline's tongue reached corners inside of her that she never thought possible, and the flick of the tongue inside made her body tremble every time. She groaned, "Oh, Marceline! What a _long_ tongue you've got!"

The tongue flew back quickly, making Bubblegum gasp loudly. "The better to fuck you with, my love," Marceline said into the princess' mound, pressing vibrations of her voice against the small juicy nub. Marceline slid her tongue in and out of the princess, moving her head back and forth. Bonni took hold her Marceline by her thick hair and helped guide the strokes of the tongue. Pressing the vampire's face against her, she felt the tongue far deep inside while Marceline sucked on Bubblegum's button. Faster and faster the tongue flicked inside, and the harder Marceline sucked. Out of nowhere, pleasure erupted from between Bonni's legs. Lightening spread throughout her body and she quaked violently as she screamed Marceline's name into the night. She clasped the vampire's head still against her as her body continued to throb. She gently pushed against Marceline, who withdrew her head and tongue. The vampire brought her head up to kiss the princess, who could taste her own warm sweetness, a stark contrast to the way the vampire tasted.

The sensual kiss just invigorated Princess Bubblegum all the more. She only got a sample of Marceline, and from what she remembered she had only scratched the surface. Her mouth explored the vampire's, playing with the forked tip of her tongue. Lost in the ecstasy of desire, feeling Marceline's body above hers, she momentarily forgot the power she held over the other girl. All she knew was pleasure, and the different ways that her lover could provide it.

Bonnibel allowed Marceline to flip over onto her knees, with her face buried in the soft covers. She felt the small patch of Marceline's hair against her throbbing wetness as her hips were pulled into the vampire's. Marceline bent over the princess, her perky breasts pressed up against her back. "How bad do you want more, Bonni?" The vampire's hands softly fondled her breasts.

The princess arched her hips back and wiggled against the small relief she was being offered. "I want it so bad. Give it to me. Please…" she whimpered into the sheets. Bubblegum wanted more of Marceline, and hoped that she would never stop. She felt Marceline's right hand travel down her stomach until it rubbed against her soft mound, playing with the princess' bit of hair. She let out a long moan in anticipation. Two fingers slid back just touching the spot where her thighs met the groin just outlining her vulva. Dripping with moisture, the fingers were already soaked as they slowly passed up and down. Bonni gasped loudly when she felt the fingers squeeze gently around her engorged pearl, pushing harder and harder together. As the fingers moved in and out, she felt Marceline's hips push against her in perfect union. Bonnibel moved her hips around, encouraging Marceline's hand to move in large circles.

The pleasure built as it coursed through her body. Electricity surged down both of her legs, and up to her shoulders. The feel of Marceline's body pressing against her and the sound of Marceline's soft breaths, which Bubblegum knew she didn't need but did out of habit, brought her closer and closer. She knew one thing that would bring her to that point again, where she'd already been tonight, but so much quicker. Marceline was pressing hard now, her fingers rubbing blissfully. She knew she was right there on the edge. With one swift motion she swung her hair aside, exposing the right side of her neck. "Bite me!" she commanded. Marceline didn't need any more instruction. The vampire's fangs sunk into her neck. She screamed out as the explosion between her legs circulated throughout her body. She reached over her shoulder to hold Marceline's head against her neck, feeling the pink in her skin slowly being drained. The sensation burned and she felt it spread from up to her jaw and out to her shoulder, but the pain mixed with her pleasure and made her light-headed from the strength of the orgasm. She felt Marceline's teeth withdraw from her neck and give her small kisses in the spot she had just bitten. The vampire's strong hand, now holding Bonni by her hip, softly rolled her onto her side. Princess Bubblegum fell asleep, held by the only woman she really ever loved.


	8. Ch 8: The Huntsmen

**Chapter 8: The Huntsmen**

Peppermint Butler paced up and down the throne room, casting occasional glances to the phone lying on a pillow on a pedestal. He stopped and looked at his watch, then out of the window. It was sunset. The orange glow of the sky was slowly giving way to the dark blue of night, with the shadows growing ever larger. There was still no word from the princess. He heaved a deep sigh, and then furrowed his brow in determination. Stepping into the princess' study in an adjoining room, he took a scroll of parchment and a quill. He jotted a swift note, sealed it with the wax of the Candy Royal seal and rushed back out to the throne room.

The two banana guards standing just outside of the throne room were so bored they were playing a game. One guard held his hands in a cup, and the other tried throwing pebbles into it. Every time a pebble missed, they roared with laughter. Every time a pebble made it in, they howled with cheers. It was this that Peppermint Butler threw open the main castle doors to see.

The butler, wrought with anxiety, flew into a rage. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted at the guards. The two froze and looked back at Peppermint Butler, dumb with surprise and unable to respond. Had he not been in such a hurry, they wouldn't have gotten off so easily. "You!" he shouted to the one still cupping his hands awaiting a thrown pebble, "Take this to Finn and Jake immediately! Let them know it's an emergency!" He shoved the sealed scroll into the banana guard's hands and pushed him out. He was so shocked in the sudden force of orders he didn't dare question it and ran out of the castle grounds immediately.

Peppermint Butler spun around on the remaining guard. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the remaining guard. "You're supposed to be guarding the castle! Had the princess been here, you would've been in big trouble! Clean up this mess, and _stand guard_!" He pointed at the scattered pebbles sprawled along the floor. He turned and stormed back in the castle. It was hard work keeping up with the castle as it was. He didn't know what he'd do without the princess. He resumed his previous position and paced before the throne, awaiting the arrival of the princess' two favorite heroes.

Peppermint Butler sighed with relief when he realized that Finn and Jake were coming shortly after he virtually threw the banana guard out. He knew the two were on their way because he could hear them yelling from just beyond the castle.

With a great bang, the throne room doors were flung open. Finn jumped into the air and landed with a flip, brandishing his sword. Jake, stretching his fists to twice his body's size, came running in close behind. "Princess Bubblegum! We're here to save yoooouuuu!" Finn shouted enthusiastically.

Peppermint Butler rushed to the two. "Oh, thank goodness you came so quickly! It's an emergency. Princess Bubblegum left to visit the Earls of Lemongrab this morning, and she was supposed to call when she arrived at the castle. But, as you can see, night has fallen and there's still no word from the princess. Please, go to Castle Lemongrab and make sure the princess is safe!"

Jake's face fell, and his fists shrank back to their original size. "Aw, Lemongrab? That guy's such a loser…"

Finn sheathed his sword into his backpack and looked at Peppermint Butler seriously. "You have our word! We'll ensure the princess' safety. Let's go, Jake!" Finn turned swiftly and walked out. Jake jogged quickly out to follow Finn. Once they were in the courtyard, he let Finn hop on his back before growing big enough to cover a large distance in a short amount of time. "Okay, Jake! Off to Castle Lemongrab!" Finn announced.

Jake barked enthusiastically, but walked out of the castle grounds in a casual stroll. "You know, I'm not looking forward to this. The old Lemongrab is such a loser, and even though the new one is nicer he's still kind of creepy," he confessed.

Finn shrugged, "Nah, man. They're just misunderstood. But this isn't about them. It's about Peebles. I know she's tough, but we gotta make sure she's okay."

Jake looked back at Finn questioningly. "I thought you were over her, bro."

Finn kept his eyes straight. "Yeah, I'm done with that drama. Still, PB and I are homies, and we're heroes. It's our duty to help anyone in need. For all we know, the whole of the Candy Kingdom could be in need right now. We need to find her." With that, Finn felt Jake pick up his pace and hurry in the direction of Castle Lemongrab.

Jake jogged along the long, jagged path up to Castle Lemongrab. He shrank back to normal size, Finn jumping off of his back, as he reached the drawbridge. All was still in the castle as they approached. Both camels were asleep in their stables, so the pair of brothers knew that the Lemongrabs had to be home. It seemed quiet on the grounds, until they heard some noises coming from the top tower.

The adrenaline rushed through Finn's veins and looked up towards what seemed to be the source of the sounds. He couldn't see inside of the room from the ground level. "Jake! There's a noise coming from the tower bedroom! PB might be in there!"

Jake frowned. His dog ears were more perceptive than Finn's, and he had a feeling he knew what those sounds were. If he was right, he didn't think it was a good idea for them to go up there. "Dude, I think it's cool. Let's just wait. Why don't we play with that catcher's mitt we found last time!" Jake advised.

Finn looked at Jake incredulously and drew his sword. "No, Jake! Let's save the princess!" Without waiting for Jake to respond, he ran up towards the bedroom.

Jake was tired of running after Finn tonight. The young boy was too eager to play the hero. It seemed that things were still a little muddled when it came to Princess Bubblegum. Sure, Finn had his thing with Flame Princess, but he always had a soft spot for Bubblegum. Maybe he always would. However, something just didn't seem right about tonight. He rushed forward and pulled ahead of Finn. He felt the young boy hasten his pace and sprint. Luckily for Jake, he reached the door before Finn. Turning his back against the door, he stretched his extremities to block the door. Now that they were right outside of the door, Jake definitely knew they shouldn't go in. "I'm telling you, Finn. Do NOT go in there! Let's just wait until later," Jake said defiantly.

Finn's eyes widened as he heard muffled sounds. He knew Princess Bubblegum's voice anywhere, and there were definitely groans coming from the other side of the room. "That's Bubblegum! She sounds hurt!" Finn tried to push Jake out of the way, but the dog didn't move.

"Nooo, Fiiinn!" he whined as he struggled to keep the boy off of him. The two quarreled against each other for a few moments, until Finn stepped back panting. An idea came to Jake's head. He didn't like this one either, but it was better than barging into the room. He suggested, "Okay, tell you what. I'll peek in for a few seconds just to show you everything's okay. Once I tell you PB's safe, will you promise me that we'll go downstairs and wait?"

Finn thought for a moment and nodded, "Fine, I promise. ONLY if the princess is okay."

Jake stretched his hand out and placed it on Finn's shoulder. He stretched it farther, forcing Finn to step back a few steps. "Wait THERE!" Jake said firmly. He turned his back and took a deep breath. He wasn't ready for this and he was scared about what he was about to do. His face flushed red with embarrassment, but he knew that the alternative would be worse. Closing his eyes, he slowly turned the door knob and softly pushed the door just a few inches open.

Opening one eye, Jake slowly peeked into the room. His eyes flew open with disbelief. Whatever he was expecting, it definitely wasn't this. There was Princess Bubblegum lying on her back on the bed, and between her outstretched legs was a head of full and long dark hair above a grey naked body. The clothes strewn about the bed and red axe bass lying leaning against the trunk at the foot of the bed confirmed the identity of the other person, and he didn't even have to see her face. "Um, Finn… It's-it's okay… PB's fine…" he whispered.

Through the princess's moans, he heard her say, "Oh, Marceline! What a _long_ tongue you've got!"

A soft voice replied, "The better to fuck you with, my love."

Suddenly, a voice above him asked also in astonished whispers, "Jaaaaake…. What… is… happening?" Finn had disobeyed Jake and stole a peek alongside his brother.

Jake quickly closed the door and turned around, pressing his back against the door. He shut his eyes and shook his head violently. He couldn't unsee that. His face was beet red with embarrassment, and a little with excitement. He felt guilty for having witnessed such an intimate moment between his two friends. "Finn, we gotta talk. Let's go downstairs." He took Finn by the hand, who was still frozen in shock, and led him swiftly down the hallway.

As they made their way down, Finn whispered, "Marceline was gobbling up… Bubblegum!"


	9. Ch 9: The Princess and her Vampire

**Chapter 9: The Princess and her Vampire**

Princess Bubblegum woke from the sweetest dream. She dreamt that she had a wonderful night with Marceline, who was hers again, in sweet bliss. Smiling with her eyes still closed, she stretched her arms above her head. Strangely, she found resistance and her hand hit suddenly against something cold.

"Ow!" a familiar voice said. "Hey, Bonni. Did you have a nice nap?" Bubblegum's eyes flew open to see Marceline lying next to her. So it wasn't a dream. She stared into the vampire's face, who was looking back at her with eyes that seemed to be saying the same things Bonnibel was feeling and gave her a loving kiss. She rested her head on Marceline's shoulder as the vampire put an arm around her. Bonnibel delicately stroked the smooth stomach with her fingers and sighed. She felt Marceline's head look down at her. "What was that for? Was it okay?" Marceline asked worriedly.

The princess flushed, not daring to look at the other girl. "It was more than okay. It was perfect," she sighed. She felt Marceline's chest shake up and down quickly in a chuckle, and the princess buried her face Marcy's neck. "Don't laugh at me! I can't believe I just said that. I'm so embarrassed."

Marceline kissed the top of her head. "I'm the one who should be embarrassed. I'm _far_ from perfect."

It was Bubblegum's turn to look at the vampire, who had turned her head away. She was gazing out the window at the night sky with an indescribable expression on her face. The princess said, "I told you before – I don't need perfect. You can't help it if you know how to push my buttons just right."

Marceline continued to stare out of the window. "Yeah, I get it. You want me for my body. It's cool. I know I'm irresistible," she said with a sardonic tone.

"No! That's not what I meant. Of course, your body is amazing; your full silky hair feels wonderful in my hands and your tongue…" Bonnibel shivered with the recent memory of the way Marceline's tongue felt all over her body. "But that's not it. It's the passion in everything you do. The emotion in your voice when you sing moves me so deep inside. Despite everything you've gone through in your life, you've still managed to keep your sense of humor."

Marceline got up and slowly flew around the room, searching the ground for something. "Hmpf, my sense of humor. You never appreciated my 'humor.' It was always too juvenile for you," Marceline mumbled. She stopped and found what she was looking for. She picked up her shirt and returned to the bed.

Bubblegum propped herself up on her side with her elbow. "The fact is you still have one. You can be such a butt sometimes, like a… a _boy_, but at least Finn and Jake get it all the time. You know you DO have friends." Marceline held her shirt out for the princess, but she just looked back at the vampire perplexed. "What's this for?"

Marceline shrugged. "Put it on. I don't want you to get cold."

She hesitated, but she reluctantly took the shirt and put it on. True, she was getting chilly as the night wore on. The windows in the castle were nothing more than rectangular breaks in the walls. As she pulled the shirt on, she made a mental note to at least have curtains installed to help cut the breeze as it blew in. She looked again at the vampire. "Hey, Marcy? Thanks."

Marceline lied on her back bed with her arms folded behind her head, and looked at Bubblegum. "Thanks for what?"

"For staying with me. And for the song." She leaned in and gave Marceline a long and tender kiss. When their lips parted, Bonnibel put her hand to Marceline's face. "You know, I have a confession to make. I was thinking about you before my nap in the forest."

Marceline's smile was finally genuine. "Oh? What a surprise! What were you thinking about?"

Pink fingers played along Marceline's lips, and slowly reached in to lightly touch the vampire's fang. She gently pushed her finger against the point, wincing with the slight pain, and watched as the smallest bit of pink was drained before withdrawing. She felt a small moan in Marceline's chest. "While I was flying, I found some strange bushes. When I landed, I saw that they were wild strawberries growing just inside the border of the Candy Kingdom! I remembered when I used to feed you the red of strawberries, and they were still as sweet even when they were gray. So I picked them. I was going to make some dessert, but I'd rather give them to you."

The vampire gave a frightening laugh. "The princess found my stash. I was secretly growing those strawberries closer to home. What's the punishment?"

Bubblegum quickly took one of Marceline's nipples between her fingers, giving it a little squeeze and twist, just enough for the vampire to let out a soft groan of mixed pleasure and pain. "Oh, I'll think of something…" Then she let go, and sat up in the bed looking around her. "Put something on. We'll run to the pantry and have some strawberries."

There was some shuffling about the room. Not wanting to take off Marceline's T-shirt, she just put on her form fitting skirt and tossed Marceline her pink sweater. Marceline was trying to pull on her jeans with her hands, so she caught the sweater with her teeth. The two girls shared a laugh, and Marcy pulled the sweater over her head. Bubblegum took up her cloak and placed it around her shoulders. She smiled at the sight of Marceline wearing her pink sweater. The vampire gave Bonnibel a quick pat on the butt before opening the door.

The two happily made their way down the hall, playfully teasing each other and stealing kisses, still riding the endorphins from their spontaneous sexual romp. Princess Bubblegum felt like she was still dreaming. Finally being with Marceline again was better than she had ever thought possible.

As they neared the end of the hall, Marceline stopped with sudden realization. "Grob-dobbit! I forgot about those stupid Lemonheads!" Marceline started opening doors along the hall at random trying to find the room.

The princess folded her arms in exasperation, but not nearly as upset as she could've been. "What did you do to them anyways?" she asked, mildly curious. She just stood in the middle of the hall. She may not be angry about the prank anymore, but she wasn't going to help Marceline find them.

Marceline leaned her head into a room, and then slammed it shut in frustration. "I lured them into some glass room somewhere. Like I said, it wasn't even fun. When they realized I was trying to prank them, they just laughed. Actually, one of them kinda freaked out. It was funny at first, but then it just got weird." She crossed the hall to open another door. They heard a loud squawk, then Marceline slammed the door shut again.

Bubblegum walked towards the room. "What was that?" she asked. However once she opened the door, she didn't need the question answered. Inside was her swan, taking a bubble bath in a four-clawed bathtub in the middle of the room. The swan let out a barrage of outraged honks and squawks, still able to be heard when she closed the door. "Oh… There's my swan…"

Marceline clasped her stomach in laughter and followed the princess as she passed a few doors down the hall. After embarrassing herself, she opted to help find the earls. When she opened the door to the Reconditioning Chamber, Marceline flew swiftly passed her into the room. "Wait a minute," the vampire said. Bubblegum followed into the room and saw Marceline floating still in the room. She looked around to see what Marceline was waiting for.

The two Lemongrabs were sitting cross-legged on the floor inside of the chamber, staring at each other. What was strange was the door to the chamber was wide open, yet the two earls remained seated inside.

Marceline whispered, "But I locked the door… Why is it open? More importantly, why are those two idiots still in there?!" She halted in confusion, talking more to herself than the princess.

Bubblegum walked into the chamber and announced, "Lemongrabs! It's Princess Bubblegum. You're free to go! The prank's done."

A Lemongrab laughed, but held his gaze upon his companion. "Mmmmhmmm! No, Princess! The ones called Finn and Jake said we had to stay this way until they collected us!"

She was surprised. "Finn and Jake? When did they say that?" The second Lemongrab also gave a forced laugh, but didn't say anything. He only reached over and gave his friend a quick poke in the thigh with his finger. The two Lemongrabs continued to stare at each other without another word to the princess. Occasionally, one would poke the other in the thigh with his finger again, but nothing more. Shrugging, the princess left the room. "Come on, Marcy," she said as she took the other girl by the hand. "Let's find out what's going on."

Continuing down the hallway with the vampire floating behind her, and holding the cool hand in hers made the heat rush to Bubblegum's face. She hoped that her hand wasn't sweating too much, and that Marceline couldn't tell, but she wasn't going to let go. Something just as simple as that didn't necessarily make her feel fireworks, but it just felt right.

When they reached the throne room, they found Finn and Jake playing catch. They were each wearing one of the Lemongrabs' many mitts, Jake wore one on each hand an one on his head. Finn was throwing lemons while Jake caught them in his mouth.

Princess Bubblegum stopped just inside of the entrance and put her free hand on her waist. "Finn! Jake! I demand to know what you're doing here!" she cried.

The two froze, and turned their head towards the sound of the voice. Jake swallowed the lemons in his mouth, and Finn dropped the pile he held in his mitt. They both removed the catchers' mitts, Finn throwing his in the corner, and Jake threw his at Finn's head. "Princess! Marcy! You're done!" Finn said.

Jake hastily said, "You're here!" He gave Finn a stern look, then looked back at Bubblegum.

The princess blushed and she felt Marceline's hand give hers a small squeeze as she felt their eyes travel between the two girls many times, and sometimes stopping to note their hands still clasped together. Bubblegum was sure Finn noticed the patch of gray on her neck, and she nervously draped her hair over her right shoulder. "I'll ask again," she said quietly, "what are you guys doing here?"

Finn looked towards the girls, but avoided eye contact with both. "Uh… Peppermint Butler sent us. You never called to let him know you arrived safely."

Bubblegum let go of Marceline's hand. "Oh, no! How could I have forgotten!"

"I-it's okay, PB. We called already. Don't worry," Finn reassured, gesturing to the phone in the room.

Marceline floated a few feet closer to Finn. "How did _you_ know Bonni was here…?" she asked strangely, almost threateningly.

Jake cowered and gave a little shudder. "We didn't see anything!" he shouted in a panicked voice. The princess's face grew redder, and Marceline began hovering over the two.

Finn's earnest face met Marceline's glare. Without breaking eye contact he said, "Peebles, are you okay? What I mean is… you two. You girls are okay?"

Marceline hovered higher, and growled, "What do you mean by that?!" Her eyes began to glow that dangerous shade of red they all knew so well.

Jake jumped behind Finn and hid, but Finn matched Marceline eye for eye. "Hey, I get it. You're two sexy and awesome ladies, and that's math. I know it's not supposed to be any of my business. Y'all can do whatever you want, but I just want to know you'll be okay. Ever since that junk with the Door Lord, I knew there was something deeper there but I couldn't figure out what it was. You seem so different, but I know you're more similar that y'all think. I just need to know that it's going to be okay."

The princess slowly walked over, put her arm around Marceline's waist and pulled her closer to the ground so she wasn't so menacing to their friends. She was touched by Finn's comments, but she also understood what he meant. She had alluded to it before, when Finn was beginning to date Flame Princess. He knew she struggled between duty and her own heart, and that being with someone threatened her position as the ruler of the Candy Kingdom.

"Finn… I appreciate your concern. Marceline and I are… complicated." She looked up into the vampire's face, which was looking down at her with a mixed expression of love and worry. She turned again to the young boy. "Of course we'll be okay. I don't know what will happen next, but this is what makes me happy. You're so sweet to be concerned." She leaned forward and gave Finn a quick kiss on the forehead. When she stood erect, she could feel Marceline stiffen next to her. "Adult relationships are more than just about being happy. Sometimes life gets in the way, and duty and responsibility-"

Jake stepped out from behind Finn. "With all due respect, Princess, but happiness doesn't always have to come at such a price. If there's one thing I've learned from being with Lady is that relationships require _compromise_."

The princess sighed. Somehow, she knew her friends were right. It sounded so easy when they said it, but it didn't seem that way years ago when she tried to have the same conversation. She looked at Marceline who was uncharacteristically looking down at the ground, fiddling with her fingers. Then she looked back at Finn and Jake, who were each looking between the two girls again. The four of them were still in the awkward silence, each lost in their own trains of thought.

It was Finn who finally broke the silence. "Hey, Marcy. Are YOU going to be okay?" he asked.

She gave a haunting laugh. "Kid, I'm 1000 years old. Now why don't you run along home. We've got some unfinished business." She looked at Bonnibel and gave a little wink.

Bubblegum blushed again. "Marceline!" she scolded playfully.

Finn and Jake looked at each other, and then grinned at the two ladies. Jake gave them a big wink and gave a couple of clicks with his mouth. "Okay, have fun you two! We'll see you tomorrow back at home?" Finn asked.

The princess looked at Marceline and gave sultry smile. Without looking at the boys, she replied, "Well, Peppermint Butler said I didn't really have anything to do for a couple of days… So maybe not tomorrow, but, ya know. Eventually."

Without another word, Finn and Jake left the castle.

Marceline took the princess into her arms and lifted her up into an intense kiss. She held the princess tight, floating her a few inches above the ground. Bubblegum put her hands around her face and returned the kiss with equal fervor. "So… I make you happy?" the vampire asked.

Heat rushed to Bonnibel's face. "Yes. You do, you really do. Not just your music, not just your body, but YOU." Marceline slowly placed the princess back on the ground. "It looks like I'm on vacation for a short while. I want to take full advantage of showing you exactly what I mean."

Princess Bubblegum led the vampire to the pantry where she collected her loot of strawberries into her basket. They made their way back up to the bedroom, and Marceline made sure to lock the door behind them.

_The End._


End file.
